Taking the brakes off the video games industry

Last week, Ukie CEO Nick Poole met with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, at the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester. The creative industries were given the opportunity to hear Nandy's vision for unlocking the ￡170 billion potential of these sectors. She expressed the government's commitment to removing barriers and invited attendees to collaborate with the DCMS to achieve the national mission of economic growth over the next five years. As representatives of one of the UK's engines of growth, Ukie is looking forward to working with the government to ensure the games industry is given the support it needs to flourish. Find out how you can contribute here.

Improve sector understanding of how the UK games industry accesses and uses finance:?Creative UK is working with the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre and others to understand how creative business in the UK access finance and what barriers exist when seeking the funding they need. It’s important that this wide-ranging report has a strong response from the games sector so that our specific needs are understood as Creative UK speaks to government. Find out more.

Gearing up for Gamescom:?We spoke?with Stace Harman from Indie By Design about what the purpose of review guides are and the opportunities they present for engaging with reviewers in the final stages of a game's launch. Find out what a strong review guide should include, what to avoid and what approaches net the best results. A must watch for PR and marketing professionals. Watch here.

In the news

?????Glowmade:?Ukie's EDI Lead, Dom Shaw spoke to Elizabeth Plant about disabled representation, equity & accessibility in games.

Stories from industry

Devcom Developer Conference 2024: will feature 200 sessions led by over 250 speakers. The event begins on August 19 at the new Confex Conference Center at the Koelnmesse. Confirmed speakers include Jason Latino, Cinematic Director at Larian Studios; Mihir Sheth, Game Director at Sony Santa Monica; and Stéphane Roy, former Vice President & Studio Head at WB Games Montreal.

Campaign corner

Education Secretary pauses BTEC reforms:?The Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, has paused reforms to post-16 qualifications at level 3 and below, halting the planned defunding of some BTECs and other alternatives to T-levels. In a written statement to the House of Commons, Phillipson said that the department will now undertake "a focused review of the post-16 qualification reforms at level 3 and below to assess how best to improve the quality of the overall qualifications landscape, support the growth of T Levels, and ensure that all young people and adults have high-quality options that meet their needs." Following the news, Ukie welcomed this announcement, as we believe that these qualifications are a vital pathway for talent into our industry, supporting hundreds of students and meeting employers' skills needs.

Industry events - August:

Monday 19th August: Join Ukie members Xsolla and their partners for a fun-filled analog game night at devcom in Cologne on Monday, 19th August. Play with fellow game enthusiasts, meet great people, and socialize early ahead of gamescom! Get your tickers here.

?September

Tuesday 24th September: Innovative games at scale on AWS:?AWS for Games team invites UKI Gaming Studios to a full day event Innovative games at scale on AWS in Amazon London office in Shoreditch. Attendees will learn directly from AWS customers and partners, including Jagex, Space Ape Games, Code Wizards and Heroic Labs !?Register here.

October

Tuesday 1st October:?We've teamed up with communication coach Jon Torrens to lead a one-day in-person communication skills workshop, aimed at giving game developers the tools they need to boost their speaking confidence and further their growth in the games industry. 10% discount for Ukie Members using discount code: "UKIE10". Register here.

We're hiring!

Ukie's Digital Schoolhouse Programme is looking for a new programmes officer to join the incredible education team.?The Programme Communications Officer plays an essential role in the smooth running of Digital Schoolhouse. The successful candidate will be the initial point of contact for teachers that are involved in the Digital Schoolhouse programme. Resolving queries, organising training events and meetups, streamlining processes, dealing with day-to-day marketing and overseeing internal and external programme communications are key aspects of this role. Apply today.